The outcome was not clear when Cinnaminson (10-12) rallied to tie the score at 43 with three minutes left in the third quarter. But with leadership from seniors like Jacobs and Patrick Donohue, the Scotties found the openings for their younger players to help the home team improve to .500.

“We have to come out and compete with everybody,” Jacobs said. “We lack some experience, but a hard-working defense and leadership gets us wins.”

Jacobs and Donohue, however, had to lead through foul trouble. Donohue, who finished with 13 points, lost his battle when he fouled out just after draining a 3-point field goal to give Bordentown a 55-51 lead with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter.

That forced Wright’s hand. The Scotties coach had brought Jacobs, who also had 13 points, to the bench when he picked up his fourth foul. With talented freshman Myron Gordon sidelined with an illness, Wright had to re-enter the season force and hope for the best.

“Patrick’s our only guard in 12th grade and we rely on him a lot to handle the ball, so I was kind of concerned,” Jacobs said.

The 6-foot-3 forward did the basics — rebounded, passed, set picks and hit free throws — to help the Scotties prevail.

Along the way, freshman Shane Jardine matched a game-high with 16 points. And sophomore Jahmiere Van Klin scored nine points all in the fourth quarter to help the home team earn its 10th victory.

Jardine tied the Pirates Damon Pashore with 16 points, while Cinnaminson senior guards Dan Haddon and Kevin Sotell did their best to try to get the visitors to .500 before the Scotties, who hit nine 3-pointers in the game, came up with the kind of play they have been seeking all season in the fourth quarter.